TMW - 7-6-2006 at 07:22 PM
Another roaming trip to Baja filled with fun and adventure. Saturday morning July1st I'm off to LA to pick up my friend Bill. Down the I5 we go only
to spend hour after hour bumper to bumper all the way to San Diego. We cross the border at Tecate and headed over to Santa Veronica for a late lunch.
Margaritas were excellent and hit the spot. Not as crowded as expected. We browse the shop and look for a friend who wasn't home then down the road to
Laguna Salada and the ZR night race.
Pulled into the race area about 7:30pm. While at the sign in area in comes Tunaeater. Race got off around 8:30. I did a race report in the off road
section, but Paul did very good. After the race we go up the toll road and head down the Luguna Hanson road a few miles and find a nice camp spot.
Sunday morning we drive down to Laguna Hanson. There is a hotel and resturant at R. Rodeo Del Ray where we hoped to be open for breakfast but it was
all closed up same as last year on the July 4th weekend. We stop by Saw Mill for a refreshment then out to hwy 3 at KM55. On to Trinidad for lunch and
gas and back to KM108.
I zero'd my odometer at KM108 and off we go. The Jamau Outpost is at mile 4.6 and is closed, I thought they would be open on Sun. so we could spend
the night, oh well. Ranch on left at 4.8. There are two closed gates at 8.9 and 9.4 miles. The road to the south summit of the race course is at 11.3.
After this the road gets narrower and rougher, some places required 4x4 low range further on. At 13.6 the road splits with the left fork going over
the mtns to the NE. We follow the right fork like I did in the 500 race report last month. There is an abondoned house at 13.8. Closed Steel gate at
16.6. At 16.8 the Y rejoins in 1/4 mile. Abondoned station wagon at 17.8 and truck at 18.1. Another closed metal gate at 18.3. Abandoned house with
coral with several tagged cows at 19.1. Another abandoned house and wrecked car at 19.1. At this spot is a water trough for the cows being fed thru a
water valve that is tied open with wire. The water is coming out under some heavy pressure. The water is piped going into the ground. We look around a
while but did not see where it was fed from. Gotta be a high spot for the pressure. We press on and pass a few more tagged cows. At 21 is a road to
the right. The road narrows more and is more rocky but not big rocks. The left side is a 200 foot give or take sloped drop. Would hate to back up on
this using side mirrors. At 23.8 another Y we go left only to meet much over growth so we back up and go right. At 24.7miles we come onto a large open
meadow. Looks smooth with foot high spare vegetation. Elevation is 6000 ft. We make a right turn on it following the tracks and to our right is a
plane wreck. Engine and wings missing. radio and 24 volt battery damaged. Broken plexiglass. Looks like it probably wrecked here and someone carried
out the missing parts.
At this point we think the road joins up with the road that split left at mile 13.6 above. We drive across the meadow and boy it was anything but
smooth. Rocks and holes all the way across. If the plane did try to land there it was going to flip. Across the meadow the trail ends. I walk over to
the edge and the mtn just goes down, no road. As we travel back across we did not see any side road. It's getting late, about 6pm and we have been on
this road for over 4 hours so we start back.
No problems getting back to KM108 and it only took 2.5 hours. Into Trinidad for some tacos at a nice brick stand on the right with a parking area.
It's getting late so we camp on the road into Mike's.
Into Mike's Sky Rancho only to find a couple of friends and five MC riders. We had breakfast spent some time showing Bill around. The bikers wanted a
different trail back to Laguna Hanson so I tell them to follow the 500 course backwards, watch for new ribbons on their left. Off they go.
We head off for San Felipe and the great margirita tasting. But first we stop at Bajalou's to catch up on the latest. He's beginnig to look like a car
dealership. Then to Pete's Camp. The margiritas taste very very good. Then to George's for lunch and I was a little dissapointed with the heavy lime
taste in their margiritas. So we stop by at El Nido's. Bill has a margirita and I have coffee. The clear winner was Pete's Camp.
Next we head north stopping by Mick and Penny's place near KM50 south of Mexicali. When we get there they are playing in the water and riding jet
ski's. Life must be good. We then go back up the toll road to the Laguna Hanson turn off and find another good camp spot. Tuesday morning we stop at
Santa Veronica for breakfast then to the border. Maybe 5 or 6 cars ahead of us and we're across at 10:30.
I was very surprised at the lack of americans going to Baja. Maybe it was the election or the thought of no alcohol or maybe many didn't have Monday
off. I don't know but was very surprised. Maybe they were all on the Pacific side to cool off. Anyway we had a great time, the nights in the mtns were
cool and the days were warm sometimes hot.
TMW - 7-6-2006 at 07:24 PM
Lou I'll post the GPS readings this weekend when I have more time.
David K - 7-6-2006 at 08:34 PM
Map please!
bajabound2005 - 7-6-2006 at 08:38 PM
TW - they were ALL on the cooler side of Baja this past weekend! A Bezillion folks on the beach where we are used to oh...four people? Oddly though,
it seemed everyone left on Sunday or Monday...much quieter now.
capt. mike - 7-7-2006 at 06:33 AM
the alcohol over the 4th was a non issue, we got it everywhere except in stores on sunday. all bars sold to "gringos" who could not lregally vote, in
mulege and loreto.
big hubbub over nada.
TMW - 7-7-2006 at 07:29 AM
Capt. Mike where is the airstrip at Mike's Sky Ranch. Bill had an old pilots book that said 5 miles from Mike's. The AAA map said 8.2 miles. We looked
but never saw anything. Bill's a pilot and owns a single engine plane.
TMW - 7-7-2006 at 07:31 AM
David I'll post a map and GPS readings Sat. The trip to the plane wreck is a good one, Ken Cooke and his jeepsters would like it.
David K - 7-7-2006 at 07:41 AM
Thanks Tom!
On our way home, we took the race course back up the grade out of Trinidad... is that Km 108 or is that the graded road to Jamau off Mex. 3?
Here's a photo... where you can see Valle de Trinidad in the background...
TMW - 7-7-2006 at 12:02 PM
The KM108 turn off is the graded road to Jamau with a sign on hwy3.
capt. mike - 7-7-2006 at 12:54 PM
TW - Mike Leon closed the old strip years ago before he passed. No plans to re open it.
he can enjoy Meilings rancho tho, strip in great shape and a better place to stay, pool, bar, food, BBBQs camping, all the good stuff!!
they have a web site, go to the BBP to see it.
TMW - 7-7-2006 at 05:14 PM
Thanks Mike.
David K - 7-7-2006 at 06:12 PM
Yes, the military told Mike that he had to post a gaurd at the airstrip 24/7 in order to keep it open! Probably because the strip is several miles
north of the ranch. The old strip at Los Encinos was several miles south.
Well, private pilot business had been replaced by off road/motorcycle business... so no loss to allow the military to ditch the strip.
Here's the strip as shown in the 1987 Airports of Baja...
[Edited on 7-8-2006 by David K]
TMW - 7-8-2006 at 09:32 AM
Here are the GPS reading I took on the road back to the plane crash. NAD27 hr-min-sec.
K108 31-29-29x115-46-39 @3514ft. Lower left graded road to Pena Blanca.
Jct with Jamau sign 31-29-55x115-43-59 @3339ft. At Pena Blanca.
You go toward the Jamau Outpost, follow signs.
At 11.3 miles is the south summit road 31-32-20x11538-16 @3797ft. Baja almanac pg 8 U3. On map below it's just under the start of Canada el Cantilar.
At 13.6 miles road to left goes over mtns to NE 31-30-06x115-37-36 @3820ft. Almanac pg 8 U3.5. Above the Canada el Roble.
At 21 miles road to right 31-29-21x115-33-04 @4910ft. Almanac pg 8 V3.7. Below and in the middle of Canada el Tonel.
Plane crash in Mesa el Roble 24.7 miles 31-30-35x115-33-51 @6000ft. Almanac pg 8 half way between U & V and 3.3.
Lou should be able to put this to the exact locations.
Sorry, I was going to mark the locations on the map after I scanned it but my scanner don't work now.
[Edited on 7-8-2006 by TW]
[Edited on 7-8-2006 by TW]
One the map
bajalou - 7-8-2006 at 07:22 PM
Well, well find out how this will work
First is on INEGI topo
[Edited on 7-9-2006 by bajalou]
What happened?? The photos showed yesterday - and path's the same??
[Edited on 7-9-2006 by bajalou]
satellite shot
[Edited on 7-9-2006 by bajalou]
[Edited on 7-9-2006 by bajalou]
[Edited on 7-9-2006 by bajalou]
David K - 7-8-2006 at 09:44 PM
Wonderful!!!